Wild Rice Lake is a gravity dam located in St. Louis County, Minnesota, built in 1907. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 11 ft11 ft tall and 750 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic concrete gravity section and the water level is illustrative.
About Wild Rice Lake
The primary purpose of Wild Rice Lake is hydroelectric. The dam generates hydroelectric power by channeling water through turbines, converting the energy of flowing water into electricity. The dam is owned by Allete, Inc. (private). It impounds the Beaver River near Cloquet.
The dam stands 11 feet tall and stretches 750 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 2,688 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 9,600 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 22 square miles. Completed in 1907, the structure is over a century old.
This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/27/2019.
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Location
| State | Minnesota |
| County | St. Louis |
| Nearest City | Cloquet |
| River/Stream | Beaver River |
| Coordinates | 46.90950, -92.16250 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Gravity |
| NID Height | 11 ft |
| Dam Height | 11 ft |
| Dam Length | 750 ft |
| Year Completed | 1907 (119 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 9,600 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 9,600 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 7,936 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 2,688 acres |
| Drainage Area | 22 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,200 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Hydroelectric |
| Owner | Allete, Inc. |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 08/27/2019 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MN00613 |
| Federal ID | MN00613 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |